Bosnia jails Muslims over European bomb plot

Bosnia jails Muslims over European bomb plot
Agence France Presse (English) - January 10, 2007 Wednesday 4:15 PM GMT

SARAJEVO, Jan 10 2007 - A Bosnian court on Wednesday jailed three Muslim men for planning a bomb attack on an unspecified European country because of its military involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan.

A Swede of Bosnian origin, Mirsad Bektasevic, a Danish-born Turkish citizen, Abdulkadir Cesur, and Bajro Ikanovic, a Bosnian, were respectively sentenced to 15 years and four months, 13 years and four months and eight years.

They were found guilty of "intending to carry out a terrorist act on the territory of Bosnia or some other European country against a target known to them with the aim of forcing the authorities of Bosnia or authorities of other countries... to pull their forces out of Iraq and Afghanistan," said judge Mehmed Sator.

Bosnian police captured the three in a raid on their homes along with two other locals in 2005.

During the operation, police found a "suicide belt", nearly 20 kilograms (44 pounds) of explosives including TNT and nitroglycerine, a fuse hidden in a toy, two walkie-talkies and a video of the bomb-building process.

After the arrests, Bosnian authorities informed Danish and British authorities of the findings, which led to several arrests in Denmark.